Revised cost of Rs 5,177 crore for Upper Pravara irrigation project gets nod, new deadline 2027

The Upper Pravara or Nilwande irrigation project in Maharashtra’s Ahmednagar district has been delayed for over two decades. Once completed, it is expected to help irrigate 68,000 hectares of land.

The project in Ahmednagar district is expected to benefit farmers in 182 villages and help irrigate 68,000 hectares of land.

Listen to this article

00:00

1x 1.5x 1.8x

The Maharashtra cabinet on Wednesday approved the revised cost estimate of Rs 5,177.38 crore for the much-delayed Upper Pravara or Nilwande irrigation project. Once completed, the project in Ahmednagar district is expected to benefit farmers in 182 villages and help irrigate 68,000 hectares of land.

The project entails the construction of a 97 km right bank canal and an 85 km left bank canal to channelise dam water on Pravara river to irrigate farm fields across Akole, Sangamner, Rahata, Srirampur and Kopergaon in Ahmednagar district and Sinnar in Nashik district. Apart from irrigating large parcels of agricultural land, it will also cater to the drinking water needs of the area.

However, the project has been delayed for over two decades. In 2012, its approved cost estimate was Rs 2,370 crore. Revised several times since, the project was slated to be completed by March 2023. After the revised cost approval, the new deadline is 2027.

Story continues below this ad

“Work on the right bank canal is almost 70 per cent completed whereas left bank canal work is 85 per cent done,” a water resources department official said.

The Nilwande dam project was conceived in 1995 and construction began in 1999. The first phase of the project was completed in 2011.

During the monsoon, there is heavy rainfall over the Bhandardhara dam and a lot of water overflows and gets wasted. The Nilwande dam project aimed to streamline this excess water overflowing through the reservoir to cater to the irrigation and drinking water needs in Ahmednagar and Nashik.

Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram

Tags:
Maharashtra